I'll bet glue sniffing was the problem. Legos snap together, so that's not a problem. I had the feeling that as the Lego models emerged -- they came in slowly -- suddenly Lego realized there was a real demand for instruction-based complicated toys. Then there was a whole wave of these toys.

Ann, I don't know why plastic models vanished. I would imagine you can still find some online, but they used be everywhere, from drug stores to grocery stores. There was a multi-year gap before Lego picked up the slack with their complicated toys that required detailed instructions to build. When I started buying them for my kids, I thought, "Wow, these are similar to the old plastic models."

AnandY, thanks for the laugh. I think it will be awhile before we'll have DIY kits for building *that* kind of bug. Or else they'll come with high-powered magnifying equipment. This bug is a beta version that will hopefully be improved by Dash Robotics' beta customers.

When I first heard of the word bug from your heading, the first thing that ran through my mind was the secret listening device used by secret agents and spies. I mean, the robot bug thing is inventive and fascinating but I hope in future it will be made into a more useful purpose other than being just a kids' toy.

Agreed, Ann - I never played with dolls when I was a kid. I had quite a large collection of horse statues though - tiny horses have my vote. I'm a big NASA fan and like your space idea too. Accessories really aren't a bad idea - it adds to the creativity of the project and makes it kid friendly. It's funny how some people think science and art are independent of each other. It takes a great deal of creativity to be an engineer!

A few weeks ago, Ford Motor Co. quietly announced that it was rolling out a new wrinkle to the powerful safety feature called stability control, adding even more lifesaving potential to a technology that has already been very successful.

It won't be too much longer and hardware design, as we used to know it, will be remembered alongside the slide rule and the Karnaugh map. You will need to move beyond those familiar bits and bytes into the new world of software centric design.

People who want to take advantage of solar energy in their homes no longer need to install a bolt-on solar-panel system atop their houses -- they can integrate solar-energy-harvesting shingles directing into an existing or new roof instead.

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